Air Operations, Bonin and Volcano Islands

15 30th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack shipping off Chichi Jima and Haha Jima while 5 B-24s attack Iwo Jima while conducting an armed reconnaissance.

Air Operations, CBI

• 36 10th Air Force P-47s attack Japanese Army ground forces at Manlu, Man Mao, and Sekang.
• 15 P-47s support Allied ground forces in the Bhamo and Pinwe areas.

• 3 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack port facilities at Samah Bay, Hainan.
• 10 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack buildings near Chefang and bridges at Tingka and Wan Lai-Kam (Burma).
• 27 14th Air Force fighter-bombers attack targets of opportunity in the Mangshih area.
• 19 fighter-bombers attack rail, river, and road traffic around Hankow.
• 8 fighter-bombers attack targets of opportunity near Chefang and Tingka.

Air Operations, East Indies

• FEAF B-24s attack the Borobor, Mapanget and Sidate airfields on Celebes.
• V Bomber Command B-25s and A-20s attack airfields and shipping in the Molucca Islands, and various targets in the Asia Islands.

Air Operations, Europe

• 1 Hudson is on a Resistance flight.

Air Operations, Philippines

• US carrier aircraft from Task Force 38 attack Japanese airfields on Luzon, where they destroy an estimated 75 aircraft on the ground.
• FEAF B-24s attack the Libby and Sasa airfields on Mindanao, Alicante, Negros, and Palompon, Leyte.
• 1 494th Heavy Bomb Group B-24 based at Angaur in the Palau Islands attacks the Legaspi airfield on Luzon.
• V Fighter Command P-47s attack the Ormoc and Valencia areas of Leyte.
• A VF(N)-41 F6F downs an H8K 'Emily' flying boat at sea at 0205 hours.
• 2 VF(N)-41 F6Fs down 1 Ki-43 'Oscar' fighter and 2 Ki-57 'Topsy' transport planes near the Clark and Lipa airfields on Luzon at 0545 hours.
• 348th Fighter Group P-47s and 49th and 475th Fighter group P-38s down 1 D3A 'Val' dive bomber and 4 Japanese fighters over the Camotes Sea area between 0715 and 0745 hours.
• A VF-22 F6F downs an F1M 'Pete' reconnaissance plane over Luzon at 0800 hours.
• VF-7 and VF-18 F6Fs down 7 fighters over the Manila Bay area between 0830 and 0840 hours.
• 2 VF-22 F6Fs down a Ki-46 'Dinah' reconnaissance over Task Group 38.1 at 0915 hours.
• A VF-11 F6F downs a Ki-46 'Dinah' reconnaissance plane over the Luzon coast at 0930 hours.
• A VF-18 F6F downs an A6M Zero over Manila Bay at 1400 hours.
• VF-29 F6Fs down 2 B6N 'Jill' torpedo bombers at sea at 1455 hours.
• VF-51 F6Fs down 3 P1Y 'Galaxy' bombers at sea at 1707 hours.
• A VF-20 F6F downs an A6M Zero near Clark Field, Luzon at 1715 hours.
• VF-20 and VF(N)-41 F6Fs down 5 G4M 'Betty' bombers at sea near the carriers between 1800 and 1830 hours.
• A VF-11 F6F downs a G4M 'Betty' bomber near eastern Luzon at 1915 hours.

Asia Islands

Units of the US 8th Army land in the Asia Islands, east of the Mapias north of New Guinea.

Burma

The 19th Indian Div, British IV Corps, begins to cross the Chindwin at Sittaung as part of Mountbatten's and Slim's offensive strategy of pursuing the Japanese through the monsoon and retaking central Burma.

The British 14th Army under Gen William Slim begins a major operation to capitalize on the Japanese defeat at Imphal and Kohima, and hopefully clear the Japanese from Burma. Operation EXTENDED CAPITAL involves the British IV Corps around Sittaung and XXXIII Corps at Mawlaik making the push across the Chindwin River, recapturing Mandalay, Rangoon and Meiktila, and destroying Gen Shihachi Katamura's Japanese 15th Army in the process. Initial objectives include the Japanese airfields at Yeu and Shwebo, the capture of which will help efficient re-supply by air. To the north of British operations, Chinese and US troops formerly under the command of Gen Stilwell are pushing down toward Indaw.

Occupied Albania

Hodja's Partisans liberate Tirana.

Pacific

The Japanese submarine I-177 is sunk by the US destroyer escorts Conklin (DE-439) and McCoy Reynolds (DE-440) in the Palau Islands area.

Philippines

Vice-Adm John S. McCain's carriers carry out further attacks on Luzon and shipping targets in Manilla Bay. They sink one cruiser and 3 other vessels. and destroy many aircraft on the ground.

On Leyte fighting continues. The Americans are forced to give a little gound on Kilay Ridge under extremely heavy fire by the Japanese.

United States, Home Front

The cost of the war is now running at $250 million per day.

Western Front

There are Allied attacks and advances all along the front. In the British 2nd Army sector the 84th Div, XXX Corps, continues clearing the Plummern area of remaining enemy forces. The 51st Div, XII Corps, captures Helden and Panningen and makes contact with the 15th Div, VIII Corps.

Units of the 2nd Arm Div, US XIX Corps, 9th Army, repel the determined counterattacks of the German 7th Army under Gen Erich Brandenberger in the direction of Apweiler. Metz is completely surrounded by divisions of the US XX Corps, 3rd Army. In the XII Corps sector, the 6th Arm Div reaches Bertring and Gros-Tenquin. The 26th Div throws in all its forces against the line from Dieuze to Benestroff, meeting stiff opposition from units of the German 1st Army which is giving cover to the general withdrawal.

In the Blamont-Cirey sector the German defensive line along the Vezouse yields and while the 79th Div finishes off the capture of Fremonville, the French 2nd Arm Div reaches Cirey, some 16 miles east of Lunéville, Gen Jacques Leclerc's French armor breaks through the German line near Saverne and converges on Strasbourg. The VI Corps nears the Meurthe River and prepares to cross over to the east bank; the 100th Div already east of the river, is still advancing toward the area of Raon. In the south, where the French 1st Army is operating, the 2nd Moroccan Div and 5th Arm Div, French I Corps, reach the suburbs of Belfort. At 6:30p.m. a French detachment reaches the Rhine at Rosenau, near Basel. The villages in the area bordering Switzerland are quickly liberated.

Images from November 19, 1944

A Churchill AVRE Tank Enters a German Town, 19 November 1944

Troops of 5th Infantry Division Conducting a House-to-House Search in Metz, 19 November 1944

Churchill AVRE of 617th Assault Squadron Royal Engineers near Geilenkirchen, 19 November 1944

The struggle to bring up ammunition in the Hurtgen Forest, extricating the wounded was even more difficult

Issues in the Hurtgen Forest

French tanks in Huningue, France (US Army Center of Military History)

French Tanks in Huningue

19 November 1944 Bomb Damage in Wandsworth - Hazlehurst Road - Garratt Lane - V2 Rocket - Official report 22 were killed 65 injured and 30 missing

V-2 Rocket Damage

A M8 75mm HMC of the 82nd Armored Recc Battalion, 2nd Armored Division leads a column through Setterich during the fighting with the German 9th Panzer Division there

2nd Armored Division in Setterich

Mitchell Bombers Toward Venlo, November 19, 1944